Open to college women enrolled at any college in the state of Oregon, NEW Leadership Oregon runs a cross sector inclusive women-centered leadership program that educates and inspires a new generation of women leaders.

The Center for Women's Leadership changes the way her leadership looks from the ground up. Through targeted teaching and training programs for women and girls, community events, and a robust speaker series, our Center is building a diverse group of emerging women leaders in communities across the state.

The Center for Women’s Leadership has impacted my life by giving me the tools I needed to feel confident enough to take my career and education to the next level. NEW Leadership Oregon was instrumental in my decision to pursue a graduate level education. I feel that there is nothing that I cannot achieve if I put my mind to it.

— NLO Alumna

Located on the campus of Portland State University within the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government is a bold women’s leadership initiative for college students. The next generation of leaders will face a growing list of complex issues, and must be prepared to step forward with vision, courage, and the skills to meet the challenge. National Education for Women’s Leadership of Oregon (NEW Leadership Oregon) aims to build leaders in Oregon today to solve the problems of tomorrow. The program is dedicated to inspiring, educating, and supporting the next generation of women leaders. Each year we graduate an outstanding class of women who are equipped with the skills to become fearless leaders in their communities. NEW Leadership Oregon is modeled after the award-winning leadership program designed by the renowned Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

Eligibility: Any woman enrolled in an Oregon college or university during the current academic school year is eligible to apply. Students at the undergraduate and graduate level are welcome and we encourage students with all kinds of interests and backgrounds to apply.

Women need to shift from thinking “I’m not ready to do that” to thinking “I want to do that and I’ll learn by doing it.

— Sheryl Sandberg

Stats About Oregon Women

Oregon women earn between 53 and 83 cents (depending on race or ethnicity) for every dollar men in Oregon earn. The gender wealth gap, based on the sum of a person’s assets, is even larger: approximately 35 cents on the dollar. Oregon’s gender wealth gap is among the largest in the nation.

In 2016, only one of Oregon’s 39 publicly traded companies was led by a woman CEO. Several Oregon counties do not have a single woman serving in county-wide office.

Nearly a third of Oregon’s women and girls are struggling to make ends meet. As a result, most cannot cover an unexpected expense of even $100 without having to sell something or borrow money.

Oregon is amongst the Top Five least affordable states for center-based infant care.